


Thanks For the Ride

by never_love_a_wild_thing



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Car Sex, Fluff and Smut, Liam Falls in a Hole, Liam Gets Lost, M/M, Mason is a Good Friend, Police Officer Theo, Theo is a Responsible Human Being, he's just kind of a mess tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-17 09:30:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16092857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/never_love_a_wild_thing/pseuds/never_love_a_wild_thing
Summary: Liam is alone in the worst part of the city at 2am. Theo is the cop the picks him up. In more ways than one.





	Thanks For the Ride

**Author's Note:**

  * For [maraudersourwolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/maraudersourwolf/gifts).



> I don't usually write smut, so I don't really know where this came from, but here it is. If you want to skip past it, you might still be able to read the rest of the fic? Just go past the first two line breaks and start from there.
> 
> Anyways, thanks to maraudersourwolf and Ithinkwehaveanemergency for the ideas!
> 
> (Also, sorry I haven't edited this or even read it over yet, but I have wifi on my computer for a tiny bit right now, so I wanted to post it. Hopefully it's not terrible, but I'll edit it later!)
> 
> Enjoy!

“Fuck,” Mason snorted.

“What?” Corey peered over his shoulder at his phone screen.

“Mason just realized that he’s an hour away from home in the most dangerous part of town at 2am,” he said, tilting the phone towards him so that he could read the panicked texts from his best friend.

“Only Liam,” Corey shook his head, fondly, taking another sip of wine. “Didn’t the buses stop running like an hour ago too?”

“Yeah – “ Mason’s phone screen lit up again. “Oh, he’s really panicking now. _What do I do?_ ” Mason started typing back..

“He could call for a police escort,” Corey suggested, going back to scrolling through Netflix.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m telling him,” Mason agreed.

Corey smiled. “One more episode of Parks and Rec and then bed?” he suggested.

Mason made a sound of contented agreement and snuggled in with his boyfriend.

“Jesus,” Mason said as the theme song started playing. “So, the cop got there and apparently he looks like he’s in his twenties and is “stupid hot”.”

“Watch him hook up with him by tomorrow,” Corey said.

“How much?” Mason asked, tossing his phone aside. Liam probably wasn’t going to text back any time soon.

“Thirty bucks,” Corey said.

Mason thought about it. “Deal,” he kissed his boyfriend to seal the deal.

 

Liam was royally fucked. The buses had stopped running an hour ago and he was left in his clubbing clothes in the shitty part of town, which would have been fine if Brett hadn’t gone home with some pretty boy half an hour ago, leaving Liam alone. He could really be an asshole sometimes, but he was tall enough that he usually scared away the shady people on their walk home.

He risked looking down long enough to shoot off a text to Mason and then snapped his eyes back up, fingers closing around the house keys in his pocket. He really needed mace if this was going to keep happening.

Mason texted back, and he sent off another hast text, practically begging for advice on what to do.

Being the amazing friend he was, Mason texted back not even a minute later.

_Call the police not 911. They should send you an escort, especially if you mention Stiles’s dad._

Liam nodded to himself and then dialed the police number. He was told to wait in a well-lit area for his escort, so he moved to the nearest bus stop, where light spilled from a street lamp overhead. It was really only a few minutes before a squad car pulled up next to him. The officer rolled down the window and Liam felt his spirits raise. This guy was probably about his age. And _hot_.

He sent off a text to Mason and then approached the car.

“Liam Dunbar?” the officer asked with a smile.

“Yeah. Can I see your badge?” he asked.

The cop rolled his eyes, but pulled out his badge and showed it to Liam, who nodded and climbed into the passenger seat.

“Thanks, Deputy Raeken,” Liam said, looking at him through his eyelashes, feeling like if he had to get driven home by the police, he could at least have fun with it.

“You can call me Theo,” he smirked, “My shift’s almost over anyways.”

“Okay, Deputy Theo,” he teased, “This must be the shittiest part of your job, huh? Driving around drunk people.”

“You’re not drunk,” Theo told him, “And even this part has its perks.” His eyes flickered to Liam and then back to the road.

Liam grinned. Theo was totally hitting on him. And he was right, Liam was mostly sober by now, having pre-gamed at Brett’s place with the intent of not spending so much money on alcohol at the club itself.

“Then what _is_ the worst part?”

Theo thought about it for a minute. “The middle aged women who call in about stupid things all the time so they can hit on me,” he shuddered.

Liam laughed unsympathetically. “Maybe they think you’re like a hot cop or something,” he suggested.

“Wouldn’t _you_ like that,” he rolled his eyes.

“Hell yeah,” Liam said cheerfully before he could stop himself. He looked over at Theo who was trying so hard to look at him instead of the road that he kept drifting into the other lane.

“I’m off duty in five minutes. Do you mind if I stop at the station to clock out? I can drive you home from there?” he asked suddenly.

“Yeah, sure,” Liam replied, feeling anticipation shooting through his veins and making his fingers and toes tingle.

Theo pulled what Liam was pretty sure was an illegal u-turn and headed towards the sheriff’s station.

It took less then five minutes to get there. Theo parked the cruiser in one of the police parking spots, and then let Liam into a big, dark blue truck before disappearing into the station with a promise to be back in a few minutes.

Liam pulled out his phone and shot off a few more texts to Mason.

_Cop is totally flirting with me._

_He’s going to clock out and then drive me home._

_Fuck yeah, I’m getting a hotter hook-up than Brett is for once!_

Looking at the time, he figured Mason was probably balls-deep in Corey by this point, but he didn’t care all that much. Mason could yell at him tomorrow, and hopefully within the hour he’d be getting it on with this sexy cop.

Theo came back out of the station, still in his uniform, but without his belt or radio. He slid into the driver’s side and started the truck. “Where am I taking you?” he asked with that sexy smirk of his.

“Oak Street,” he said, deciding to play it cool for now. Totally innocent.

“Okay,” Theo nodded, jamming on the radio and then turning the volume low, music floating dreamily into the car.

“This is a nice car,” Liam commented, snuggling into his seat and then turning his head to watch Theo stare at the road as he drove. A smile curled at the corner of his mouth. Wow, he really was pretty.

“Thanks,” Theo said.

“Pull over,” Liam commanded.

Theo did as he said, looking up and down Oak Street and then at the empty lot Liam had instructed him to park next to.

“You live here?” Theo asked, looking adorably confused.

“No,” Liam unbuckled his seatbelt and turned fully towards Theo before reaching over the consul, turning off the ignition and pressing the button to unbutton Theo’s seatbelt. “Do you want to kiss me?” he asked.

“Yes,” Theo said, a smirk sliding onto his lips. His hand reached out, cupping the back of Theo’s head and bringing their open mouths together, tongues immediately sucking, teeth nibbling, lips sliding open and closed. It definitely rated at least an 8 on the scale of hottest kisses Liam had ever received, although if he was truly honest with himself, it was much closer to 10. Theo reached past him, and suddenly, Liam felt himself falling backwards. Theo climbed out of his seat and onto Liam’s lap, stretching them out as long as he could in the reclined passenger seat of the truck.

Liam’s hands worked their way under Theo’s uniform shirt, untucking it and rucking it up to his armpits. Theo laughed into his mouth and then sat up, unbuttoning the buttons deftly and then flinging the shirt into the back seat. Liam stared up at Officer Raeken’s very impressive upper body. His pecks were well defined and his shoulders were broad. His abs were nearly cut into a six pack, and those arms alone would make Liam drool. He reached up to pull Theo back on top of him, to feel that firm, muscly body flush against him, but Theo pulled him up instead. Your turn, he whispered into Liam’s mouth, kissing him senseless for a few minutes before breaking away to try to get Liam’s obscenely tight shirt over his head.

“Why do you have to wear such tight fucking clothes?” Theo asked in frustration as Liam took over the process of working his shirt off over his head.

“I think you like it,” he said, pushing his hair back out of his eyes as he tossed his shirt in the back with Theo’s.

Theo’s eyes traced visibly up and down Liam’s torso. “I think I like you better without it,” he smirked, pressing Liam back onto the seat with more insistent kisses this time, grinding firmly against him now. Liam pressed up into him for more friction, more pressure, feeling his back arch as Theo’s hands roamed over his exposed skin, teasing at his nipples before working steadily downward. Liam’s fingers gripped at the flexing muscles of Theo’s back, feeling him work in a mesmerizing way.

Theo’s mouth moved off of his and to his neck, kissing the tender skin under his jaw.

“ _Fuck,”_ Liam gasped, winding a leg over Theo’s to pull him closer as one of his hands threaded into the short hairs at the base of Theo’s skull, holding his head in place for another minute or two before pulling him back up to his lips.

Theo’s hands moved from where they had been tracing innocently at his waistband to the front button. “Okay?” he asked.

Liam nodded. “Yeah,” he breathed shivering in anticipation as Theo worked the button open and the zipper down, helping Liam to shimmy out of his pants. He was painfully hard already and all he wanted was to get Theo out of those uniform pants. His fingers started working at the belt buckle, but Theo took over impatiently, sliding his pants off of himself before Liam could process what was happening.

Theo felt thick and hard and hot through his underwear, and all Liam could think of was getting a hand around him, but before he could reach down, he was being manhandled around so that he was on top of Theo instead, Theo’s hands sweeping down his back to palm at his ass.

“This okay?” he asked.

Liam hummed into a kiss, grinding down much more satisfactorily this time.

“Liam?” Theo pressed.

“Yeah,” he gasped over Theo’s bottom lip, “Yeah, it’s good.”

Theo groaned as Liam rolled his hips against him with increased pressure. “I just needed to feel this ass,” he told him, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more perfect ass in my life.”

Liam snorted, but continued to kiss him messily, enjoying the feel of Theo’s hand on his ass as he worked one hand between them, stroking at Theo’s thigh.

“Can I touch you?” he asked.

“God, yes,” Theo moaned, sucking Liam’s tongue into his mouth again as Liam’s hand finally worked down to find a good grip around Theo’s dick through his boxers. It wasn’t long before those were done away with too and Liam had his hands completely on Theo’s bare skin. He wasn’t sure which of them moaned louder on the first stroke. The heavy heat of Theo in his hands was nearly as amazing as the feeling of Theo teasing his hole with one finger and grazing the outline of his dick with his other hand. Liam tried to get a better angle, but even in Theo’s roomy truck, there wasn’t much room.

“Do you bottom?” Theo asked him.

“Mm,” Liam gave his dick another firm stroke with his hand, “Sometimes.”

“Fuck yes,” Theo breathed.

“I don’t – I only have lube,” Liam sighed as Theo finally touched his dick with more pressure than just light fingers. “I gave both my condoms to Brett.” It didn’t even occur to him that Theo had no idea who Brett was.

“I have some,” Theo’s finger disappeared from Liam’s hole as his arm wrapped around him to sit them carefully up, holding Liam to him as he reached behind him to rummage through the glove compartment. He paused. “If you want to –“

“Yeah,” Liam nodded breathlessly, “Yes.”

“I don’t usually do this,” Theo promised him, hand rummaging through the shit in his glove compartment again. “it’s just good to be prepared.”

“Don’t turn into a boy scout on me now,” Liam murmured against his lips, already bored with the search for condoms. Theo kissed back for a moment and then paused to close the glove compartment and check the expiration date on the condom he had found there.

“Good?” Liam asked, releasing Theo’s dick, which stood stiff all on its own now.

“Yeah,” Theo grinned, pulling him back down onto the seat. Liam reached over for the small packet of lube in the pocket of his jeans. He ripped it open with his teeth as Theo rolled the condom onto himself, taking a good half of the packet to slather between his and Theo’s dicks, his underwear now laying abandoned on the floor of the passenger side, and passed the rest to Theo, who slathered it over his fingers, massaging it into the entrance of Liam’s hole so that it wasn’t so cold.

Whatever heat that had dropped off while they had prepared themselves ratcheted up dizzyingly, so that Liam barely even felt it when the first finger entered. He swore into Theo’s neck as his muscles automatically clenched, and then found his mouth in sloppy open-mouthed kisses. Theo’s finger began moving in and out, Liam’s hand jacking Theo at the same speed, feeling the friction of both his stomach and Theo’s against his own dick.

“Another,” he gasped, taking one hand around both himself and Theo, hand moving more slowly with the increased sensation.

Theo didn’t need to be told twice – another wet finger was pushing into his hole, gently but insistently, moving in and out, shallowly at first and then with more fervor. Liam had to release both dicks and brace himself on those beautiful pecks of Theo’s in an attempt not to come too early as both fingers brushed his prostate.

“ _Fuck,”_ he groaned, pushing back onto the fingers now scissoring inside him. “One more.”

“Now?” Theo asked, sounding somewhat doubtful.

“Right fucking now, Theo,” he insisted, fingers clutching at Theo’s shoulders. He could feel Theo watching him closely as he pushed a third finger inside. Liam was loose enough and lubed enough. It felt like he was being stretched a little, but not too much. He hadn’t bottomed in a while, but he used his fingers often enough that it wasn’t terrible.

He took Theo’s dick between them and gave it a few more jerks. “I want this in me,” he said, “Now.”

“It’s not too fast?” Theo asked.

Liam shook his head and Theo removed his fingers. “How – “

Liam answered the question before it could even be asked, lining Theo up with his hole and then sitting up so that he could sink slowly down onto it, reveling in the full feeling combined with Theo’s shouts of pleasure and surprise.

“This okay?” he asked breathlessly once he had gotten used to the feeling.

“ _Yes_ , Liam,” Theo moaned, hands stroking his thighs, “Fuck, you feel amazing.”

Liam rolled his hips experimentally and then lifted himself as far as the low ceiling of the truck would let him, which wasn’t far, and then sank back down, causing a new litany of swears to fall from Theo’s lips and a groan from his own. He lifted and then sank slowly one more time before picking up the pack, rising up and then squeezing each time he came down, Theo practically yelling underneath him with each movement, hips thrusting up to meat Liam with every movement.

“Fuck yes,” Liam moaned, head tilting back as he rode Theo down into the seat of his truck.

“Liam! Fuck! I’m gonna – “ his words fell away as Liam picked up the pace even more, turning to small, quick thrusts, squeezing as hard as he could.

Theo reached out and started stroking Liam’s dick, just as Liam found the perfect angle.

“Fuck!” Theo shouted, pulsing with cum inside Liam, who rode him through it, his own hand joining Theo’s as he came moments later, seeing stars. He collapsed on top of Theo, both of them catching their breath for a few minutes before Liam realized that he probably couldn’t sleep naked in a car at the side of the road.

He sat up, legs still straddling Theo, who watched him with lazy eyes as he reached back for his boxers, using them to clean himself and Theo up as best he could before wiggling into his tight jeans that felt far too rough against his sensitive cock now, and stuffing the boxers into one of his pockets. Theo handed him his shirt, sitting up with a frown as he started to pull his own shirt on too.

“Um…have a good drive home,” Liam said awkwardly, as he opened the door just enough to climb out without exposing Theo. Theo turned the car on and rolled down the window, running a hand back through his hair, as though there was any hope of making it look like Liam _hadn’t_  just hand his hands tangled in it. “Thanks for the ride,” he said, waving lamely, and starting down the street towards his house.

It took him almost the entire two minute walk there to realize what he had just said, at which point he broke down laughing hysterically in the front yard.

 

Liam came downstairs the next morning, legs tired, ass sore, feeling very much hung over for not having been drunk for the last few hours of the night. Brett was back already, looking far too chipper for how much he had drunk the night before.

“Oh, I know that limp!” he exclaimed over his mug of coffee. “That’s the _Liam got some_ limp! See, I told you you’d find somebody after I left! Was it the tall guy with the dark hair? I bet it was him.”

“Shut up, Brett,” he grumbled, taking the coffee that Mason passed him sympathetically.

“Need Advil?” Mason asked.

“I’m fine,” Liam winced as he sat on one of the tall stools at the counter. “I’m not really that hungover. I just hate Brett.”

Brett flipped him off good-naturedly.

“It was the cop, wasn’t it?” Corey asked, “Was he good?”

Liam thought back to the night before and smiled. “Yeah. 10/10, Mind-blowing orgasm. I’m actually a little mad I didn’t get his number last night. You want to make me one of those since you clearly were betting on my sex life?” Liam asked Corey as he shoveled a bacon egg and cheese bagel sandwich onto a plate before turning to accept a wad of cash from Mason.

“Sure,” Corey said, undeterred by Liam’s jab. He rolled his eyes.

“But he drove you here, right? He knows where you live, anyways. Maybe he’ll stop by for your number or round two or something,” Mason suggested.

Liam bit his lip. “No, I had him stop at the empty lot so I could jump his bones,” he said.

Brett squinted at him. “I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic,” he said.

“No, I literally made him pull over there and then we had sex in the passenger seat of his truck,” Liam confirmed. “He was off-duty by then,” he added.

“Damn,” Brett whistled, “I haven’t even pulled that one yet.”

“Shut up,” Liam told him again. He frowned as Corey slid a plate in front of him and then sat next to Mason. He really had fucked it up. He should’ve gotten Theo’s number.

“Hey,” Mason said, “I have to run to the mall later. You want to come?”

“Sure,” Liam shrugged. He needed new workout clothes anyways.

 

“And then I got out of the car and said _thanks for the ride_ ,” Liam smiled despite himself as Mason cried with laughter.

“You did _not_ ,” Mason choked out.

“I did,” Liam grinned, “I didn’t even realize I’d said it until I got home and then I totally lost it.”

“You fucking idiot,” Mason laughed.

“I know,” Liam replied, “I know. Dude, he was so hot though. And really sweet and had the most amazing – what about these.”

“No. You’ll look naked,” Mason took the light yellow shorts out of Liam’s hands and passed him a black pair instead. “Get these.”

“I already have three black pairs,” Liam complained.

“Yeah, all of which still smell like sweat immediately after they come out of the dryer. Get those,” Mason advised.

“Fine, but I’m getting the yellow ones too,” Liam argued.

“Whatever. Just don’t ask me to bail you out when you get arrested,” he glanced sideways at Liam. “And before you ask: no, getting arrested would not be a good way to get Officer Big Dick’s phone number.”

“I didn’t say anything!” Liam complained, “Also his name’s Theo.”

 

Liam ignored all of Mason’s advice and wore the yellow shorts on his run the next day. Theo hadn’t gone completely from his mind, but he still had a life to live and that included his almost-daily run. The day was hot enough that he abandoned his shirt halfway through his run, relishing the feeling of the air cooling the sweat on his skin. He closed his eyes as he ran, feeling the warm sun against his face as he tipped his head back towards the sky. The next thing he knew, his shins were slamming painfully into something and then Liam was pitching forwards and falling much farther than it should have taken to get to the ground. Suddenly, he was submerged in water, flailing his way to the top and looking wildly around as he treaded water.

Around him, everything was dark, but a few feet above him – too far to reach while he was treading water – was a circular opening pointed towards the sky. He had fallen into a well. What the fuck?

“Jesus fuck,” he spluttered. “Hey! Is anyone there?”

“Liam?”

Liam almost forgot to keep himself afloat as Theo’s face appeared above him, head ringed in a halo of sunlight. “Theo!”

“We got a call about someone running naked around this neighborhood and then I saw you fall into the well. Who the fuck runs with their eyes closed?”

“Stop judging me for two seconds and get me out of here!” Liam demanded.

“Right,” Theo said, “Stay right there. I’ll get a rope out of my car.” He disappeared before Liam could point out that it wasn’t like he could go anywhere.

It took a lot of effort between the two of them to get Liam up the rope and out of the well. He climbed over the wall, finally, and stumbled, shivering, into Theo’s arms. Theo didn’t seem to care too much that Liam was soaking wet.

“Are you okay?” he asked, rubbing Liam’s arms to keep him warm.

“Yeah, I just banged up my shins, I think. I’ll be fine,” he said, glancing up into Theo’s pretty, worried face.

“Let me get you a blanket or something from the cruiser, come on,” he led Liam to his police car, digging a fleece blanket out of the trunk and then, on second thought, pulling out one of the heavy jackets Liam had seen deputies wearing in the winter. It was just as warm and bulky as he had always thought.

“Put the blanket around your waist,” Theo suggested.

“Why?” Liam frowned.

Theo gestured towards his lap, where his dick was almost entirely visible through the wet yellow material.

Liam rolled his eyes but covered up. “It’s not like you haven’t seen it before,” he pointed it out.

“Not while I’m on duty,” Theo said casually. Liam looked at him.

“Well maybe you should call me when you’re off duty and I can give you another reminder,” Liam tried.

Theo snorted. “You’re so cheesy. I can’t believe you thanked me for the ride last night,” he said.

“I meant the ride home!” Liam said defensively.

Theo smiled, shaking his head, and pulled his phone out of his pocket, handing it to Liam. “You can put your number in if you want,” he said, “Technically I can’t give out my personal number or solicit citizens’ numbers while I’m on duty. We’re just lucky my partner isn’t here.”

Liam entered his  number into Theo’s phone. Theo stood with his arms crossed, hip propped against the open passenger side door as he watched.

“What?” Liam asked, handing his phone back.

Theo shrugged. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again,” he said, like it didn’t blow Liam’s mind to know that he had even _thought_ about it. “Also, I can’t believe you fell in a fucking well. Let me drive you home.”

Liam nodded, pulling his feet the rest of the way into the car and Theo’s jacket tighter around him. The drive home was less sexually charged than the other night, but no less fun. They flirted aimlessly the entire way and by the time Liam was sliding out of the car and handing Theo’s jacket back to him, he was pretty sure he had a giant crush on Theo Raeken.

He waved over his shoulder on his way up the front steps to where Mason was already coming out of the front door, looking worried and annoyed.

“What the fuck happened?” Mason asked, pulling Liam inside and up to his room.

“I fell in a well. Theo got me out,” Liam said.

Mason’s eyes narrowed.

“ _That’s all that happened,”_ Liam insisted, “He was on duty. I did give him my number though.”

“Wait, was that him? The guy who just dropped you off?” He moved to look out the window as Liam changed into dry clothes.

“Yeah. Why?”

“He’s hot,” Mason grinned, turning away from the window where clearly the squad car was long gone.

“Yeah,” Liam agreed, a little dreamily, “I might be in love.”

“Wait, how did he know you fell in a well?” Mason wondered, throwing himself onto Liam’s bed.

Liam blushed. “He must have watched it happen,” he admitted, “Apparently he got a call about someone running around the area naked – “

“I _told_ you those shorts make you look naked!” Mason shouted triumphantly.

 

Liam was eating ice cream. _No,_ Mason thought, _That’s not the weird part_. The weird part was that he was eating ice cream with _Brett_ while they watched Mulan.

Brett was incredibly high, so that explained his end of things, at least, but Liam – from the looks of it, Liam was sulking.

It was probably about that cop, Mason decided. He hadn’t heard Liam mention him in days and he kept looking at his phone?”

“What’s up?” Mason asked, plopping down into the armchair by Liam’s end of the couch. The movie had just ended, the tub of ice cream was empty, and Brett was fast asleep.

“Nothing,” Liam mumbled.

“He hasn’t texted you yet, has he?” Mason pressed.

“It’s been almost a week, Mase!” Liam complained, “He can’t have been on duty this entire time!”

“Then either he’s busy or he’s not worth your time,” Mason told him.

“Easy for you to say,” Liam snorted, “You didn’t have his dick in your ass.”

“True,” Mason admitted, “Maybe you should fall into another well.”

“I think I actually _liked_ him though,” Liam groaned, dropping his head back to rest on the back of the couch. “I mean, just talking to him – there’s nothing about him that I don’t like.”

Mason knew that it meant a lot coming from Liam, who had become more and more picky in the past few years, to the point where Mason had almost no hopes of him ever bringing home an actual boyfriend. But at this point, he realized with a stroke of sadness, there wasn’t much he could do about it.

 

Liam hadn’t gotten lost on purpose. He was sure his friends would think he had with the intention of being saved by Deputy Raeken again, but it really hadn’t been his choice. He had gone running to blow off steam, racing through the Preserve as fast as he could go, not really paying attention to the trailblazers or any indication of the paths whatsoever. He had wanted to lose himself in the exhilaration of the sprint, feel free of any ties, loose in the forest, like a wolf roaming through neutral territory. And he had definitely gotten lost.

He paused, looking around. He had thought be was still on some sort of overgrown trail, but now that he looked back, it wasn’t much of a trail at all. Maybe a deer path at best. He pulled out his phone, which Mason had insisted he start brining on runs since the well incident. He had no service.

Warily, he turned back in the direction he had come from and started picking his way back. He had hoped he would find a trail at some point, or see some rock or tree that looked familiar, but he hadn’t really been paying attention.

It felt like hours before he spotted a blue mark on one of the trees – a trailblazer. He fought his way through the bushes and back onto the trail, looking around. The sun was sinking low in the sky and he still wasn’t sure where he was, but at least he had found a trail. He had a single bar of service that was flickering in and out, so he stayed exactly where he was and sent off an SOS text to Mason, waiting to make sure it sent before choosing a direction and starting down the path that way.

Stupid Raeken, he thought, maybe a quarter of an hour later. He still hadn’t recognized anything or seen any trail blazers besides the blue ones (he had come in on the yellow trail), and his mind had turned to why he had really needed the run in the first place.

“Maybe if he just called me,” Liam muttered, shivering a little in his shorts and t-shirt as the sun sank low in the sky, “Then all this could have been avoided.”

He marched on, indignation growing. “If I die of exposure out here, it’s going to be all your fault,” he said a little louder. It felt kind of good to yell out his frustrations in the middle of the woods. “You – “

Something rustled in the bushes up ahead, and Liam nearly jumped out of his skin. He froze, heart racing, and then two pairs of footsteps rushed around the turn ahead, and Liam was literally swept off of his feet.

“Oh my god,” Theo was saying in his ear, arms wrapped firmly around him as he hugged him close, “Liam, are you okay? Mason called – I was so worried.”

He pulled back just enough that Liam could see the worry etched onto his face. For some reason, he felt less relieved and more pissed off.

“What the fuck?” he demanded, pushing Theo backwards, “What are you doing here?”

“I – “ Theo’s eyes were wide, “Mason called the station and said you were lost in the woods. I came out to look for you.”

“Oh, and you care all of a sudden?” Liam pressed, wishing that Theo would press back.

“Look, just because you have a boyfriend, doesn’t mean I can’t worry about you!” Theo told him, arms crossed sternly. It registered suddenly with Liam that Theo wasn’t in his uniform but jeans and a soft-looking hoodie.

“I – what?”

“Mason. Your boyfriend. Does he know that you cheated on him, by the way?” Theo rolled his eyes.

“I didn’t – Mason’s not my boyfriend,” Liam said, bewildered.

The other guy snorted and Liam looked over to see a deputy in plain clothes that he did actually recognize. “Told you,” Parrish said to Theo.

“Hey, Parrish,” Liam said dumbly.

“Hey, Liam.”

“You guys know each other?” Theo asked.

“Same friend group,” Parrish shrugged.

“And Mason’s not your boyfriend?” Theo confirmed with Liam.

“Just my best friend. He’s practically my brother,” Liam said, “Is that why you didn’t call – “

Theo didn’t let him finish, sweeping him back into his arms again, and adding a kiss into the equation – not as hungry as their first kiss, but no less passionate.

After a minute, Parrish cleared his throat, and Theo backed away sheepishly, keeping Liam’s hand in his own. “I’m not on duty,” he told Parrish.

“Yeah, but I just don’t want to see it,” his partner grinned, “What do you say we get you home, Liam?”

“Please,” he sighed, swaying close to Theo, who unzippered his sweatshirt, leaving him in a t-shirt as he pulled the hoodie around Liam.

“You’re not cold?” he asked quietly.

“I’m wearing long pants,” he pointed out, “And you need to start running with someone else from now on. You’re a disaster.”

Liam ignored the last part for now. “Like who?” he asked.

“Me?” Theo suggested with a smile.

Liam pretended to think about it. “Fine,” he agreed.

They followed Parrish through the trees while he radioed back to the station, reporting that they had found Liam, and before the sun had sunk all the way below the horizon, they were coming out of the preserve, a truck and a Honda parked along the street.

“You got it from here?” Parrish asked Theo.

“Yeah. Thanks, man,” Theo told him.

“No problem. See you around, Liam,” Parrish waved before getting into the Honda and driving off.

“So,” Theo turned to Liam, “Can I drive you home?”

“Yeah,” Liam agreed, following him to his truck, “On one condition.”

“Do I want to know?”

“Why were you so worried?” Liam asked, climbing into the passenger side as Theo held the door open for him.

“You could have died,” Theo frowned.

“It’s summer. I mean, yeah, it’s a little chilly now the sun’s gone down, but I would have been okay.”

“Maybe,” Theo said vaguely. He closed the passenger door and rounded to the other side of the truck. He got in and buckled his seatbelt, but didn’t start the car immediately.

“My sister died of exposure out in the woods when I was nine,” he said quietly, staring at the steering wheel. “If that happened to you – “ he looked at Liam. “I don’t know why I feel this strongly about you already, but I don’t think I could bear to lose you.”

Liam reached out and took his hand, threading their fingers together. ”I’m okay, though,” Liam promised him, “I’m here. And I feel the same way.”

Theo looked at him and then leaned forwards to place a soft his on his lips, a move so familiar and yet so different to the last time it had happened.

“I really do love your ass, though,” Theo said, effectively ruining the moment.

“Not here when we can do it in an actual bed,” Liam said, kissing him one more time before leaning back and gesturing for Theo to start the car. “You’re not doing anything tonight, are you?”

“Just you,” Theo said cheerfully as he pulled away from the curb.

Liam snorted.

 

The lights were a warm glow in the windows of the house and Liam knew that Mason, Corey, and Brett hadn’t realized he was home yet. If they had, they would have been sprinting out of the house already.

“You want to come in?” Liam asked Theo, as the truck stalled in front of the house.

“Are you propositioning me?” Theo smirked.

“Yes, but I also want to introduce you to my friends,” Liam told him.

Theo grinned. “Okay,” he agreed, “On one condition.”

“Do I want to know?” Liam grinned, already unbuckling his seatbelt.

“You introduce me as your hero and savior,” Theo smiled back, ducking in for a kiss as Liam rolled his eyes. “And as your boyfriend.”

This time Liam pulled him in, kissing him long enough for Theo to feel the _yes_ , before climbing out of the car, Theo joining him at the front step, lacing their fingers together again.

“Ready?” Liam asked.

Theo nodded, and Liam opened the door to warm light and the excited chatter of his best friends.


End file.
